1) Give back to God what belongs to Him
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10
The wise family invests in the bank of God:
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. . . Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” Proverbs 3: 6, 9
To pay our tithes is to invest part of our income in the bank of heaven.
Regardless of our circumstances, tithes are “holy unto the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30
“Not only does the Lord claim the tithe as His own, but He tells us how it should be reserved for Him. He says, ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase.’ This does not teach that we are to spend our means on ourselves and bring to the Lord the remnant, even though it should be otherwise an honest tithe. Let God’s portion be first set apart.” –The Adventist Home, p. 389 (emphasis mine)
Robert Leourneau, a famous inventor of machines that remove soil gave God 90% of his earnings, said:
“It is not how much of my money I give to God, but rather how much of His money I keep.”
2) Build up a reserve fund
“Wise people save the nice things they have. Fools use up everything as soon as they get it.” Proverbs 21:20
“Every week you should lay by in some secure place five or ten dollars not to be used up unless in case of sickness. With economy you may place something at interest.” –The Adventist Home, p. 396
After you pay your tithes and offerings, saving some money aside should be a priority.
How much should I save?
Only you can determine the amount. Everybody can save something. If you are wondering how much to save, pray about it and God will lead you. “With every step you take, think about what He wants, and He will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:6
Can we expect God’s blessings when we neglect to follow His plan to build up a reserve fund? “Everyone should take care of all their own people. Most important, they should take care of their own family. If they do not do that, then they do not accept what we believe. They are worse than someone who does not even believe in God.” 1 Timothy 5:8
A goal could be to save the equivalent of two months of salary in an account, and have the money ready for any necessity.
God blesses the family that has a saving plan.
3) Make a budget
“If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost. You must see if you have enough money to finish the job.” Luke 14: 28
“Sit Down and Count the Cost—God’s people are not to go forward blindly in the investment of means that they have not and know not where to obtain. We must show wisdom in the movements that we make. Christ has laid before us the plan upon which His work is to be conducted. Those who desire to build must first sit down and count the cost, to see whether they are able to carry the building to completion.” –Evangelism, p. 85
A budget used properly does not enslave you, it will free you. It does not take money away from you, it gives you more money to use where you need it most. It helps you to know where you are and what progress are you making with your goals.
Some reasons to have a family budget are: it gives direction to family goals. It controls the expenses. Provides a necessary discipline. Helps establish a system of offerings to God. Provides for the unexpected. Connects the family to make decisions together. It helps you to manage what God has given to you.
“All should learn how to keep accounts. Some neglect this work as nonessential, but this is wrong. All expenses should be accurately stated.” –The Adventist Home, p. 374
Keep a register of all your expenses. Talk to your family regularly about family expenses and make family goals like: pay debts, buy a new car, a family trip, etc.
The key for financial success is to direct your money where you want it to go and not try to guess where it disappeared.
4) Pay your debts
“The Bible definition of a debt is the inability to pay your obligations.”
“You need to cut down your expenses and strive to supply this deficiency in your character. You can and should make determined efforts to bring under control your disposition to spend means beyond your income.” –The Adventist Home, p. 393
“When one becomes involved in debt, he is in one of Satan’s nets, which he sets for souls. . . . Be determined never to incur another debt. Deny yourself a thousand things rather than run in debt.” –The Adventist Home, p. 392–393
The Bible tells us that if we have debts, God wants us to make a definite plan to pay them as soon as possible.
“You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other.” Romans 13: 8. “This has been the curse of your life, getting into debt. Avoid it as you would the smallpox. Make a solemn covenant with God that by His blessing you will pay your debts and then owe no man anything if you live on porridge and bread.” –The Adventist Home, p. 393
God want you to live free of debt. If you have debts make a plan to pay them and determine not to incur new ones.
5) Be happy with your salary and learn to live with it
“I am telling you this, but not because I need something. I have learned to be satisfied with what I have and with whatever happens.” Philippians 4: 11–12
“Be happy with the pay you get.” Luke 3:14. John the Baptist spoke these words to the Roman soldiers.
A very important principle is not to spend more than what you earn.
With all the comforts that we enjoy today, there is still a problem of many people not being satisfied with their income! This leads us to spend more than what we earn.
Learn to keep your expenses within your income.
“Many, very many, have not so educated themselves that they can keep their expenditures within the limit of their income. They do not learn to adapt themselves to circumstances, and they borrow and borrow again and again and become overwhelmed in debt, and consequently they become discouraged and disheartened.” –The Adventist Home, p. 374
“Don’t save treasures for yourselves here on earth. . . Instead, save your treasures in heaven. . . Your heart will be where your treasure is.” Matthew 6: 19–21
All verses from Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) Bible
Raquel Hernandez